Implementing a graduate social work course concerning practice with sexual and gender minority populations

Abstract

The course Social Work With Sexual and Gender Minorities was offered as a summer social work elective in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at a Midwestern university over two consecutive years. The purpose of the course was to provide students with a broad overview of the needs facing sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations and to prepare them for social work roles ranging from research, practice, and advocacy. One-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to test for changes in students’ self-reported levels of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clinical skill development and general knowledge regarding practice with SGM populations. Results show significant increases in self-reported levels of LGBT clinical skill development and also in general knowledge related to practice with SGM populations. A content analysis of students’ responses on course evaluations revealed five themes: satisfaction with the course, recommending others take the course, acquisition of new information, importance of the information to practice, and the usefulness of the simulation assignment.